“What is objectionable, what is dangerous about extremists, is not that they are extreme, but that they are intolerant. The evil is not what they say about their cause, but what they say about their opponents.”
Robert Kennedy
“Fundamentally, narcissists are stuck emotionally at the approximate development stage level of a three-year-old, and consequently they lack the most basic ability to care about the feelings, needs, and perspectives of others. Yet, as savvy adults, their powers of manipulation are off the charts… feeling sorry for the narcissist is an invitation to being abused and victimized-idealized, devalued, and rejected; or, worse, agonizingly anchored.”
Julie L. Hall
“Narcissists have secret lives. They lie effortlessly. They are two faced-appearing with a perfect public image that most people believe.”
Linda Martinez-Lewi
“It seems that under the overwhelming impact of rising power, humans are deprived of their inner independence and, more or less consciously, give up establishing an autonomous position toward the emerging circumstances. The fact that the foolish person is often stubborn must not blind us to the fact that he is not independent. In conversation with him, one virtually feels that one is dealing not at all with him as a person, but with slogans, catchwords, and the like that have taken possession of him.
He is under a spell, blinded, misused, and abused in his very being. Having thus become a mindless tool, the stupid person will also be capable of any evil and at the same time incapable of seeing that it is evil. This is where the danger of diabolical misuse lurks, for it is this that can once and for all destroy human beings.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Ephesians 6:12
Ever try arguing with a narcissist? The subject gets changed, the anger level raises 10 fold and the problem then becomes your not understanding how good they are. IMHO, they are incapable of being open to another viewpoint that differs from theirs. To protect themselves, they yell, to force a shift in argument and then present how good they are and you are wrong to question them.
I have experienced this personally with some one close to me and have to say with regret, someone who has this affliction is almost beyond help, as to get the help, one must first accept they need help; which a narcissist will never do.
You have probably seen this in many liberal acquaintances, although the problem can also be manifest among conservatives. If you see it in someone your talking to, politely end the conversation and walk away; there is nothing you will gain and nothing they will receive from you.
Ephesians 6:12 tells of a battle most do not fully appreciate the gravity of. It is a war fought without physical weapons. It is a war of the most dangerous sort as it is a war of deception versus truth. Sun Tzu had no idea the depth of it.
It’s weapons are mostly defensive; only one used offensively.
Ephesians 6:13-17… “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:”
God wants peace and that is the Christians message. He Himself is more than capable of waging the physical battle that will eventually come to those who seek not peace with Him. It is a battle He will not lose.
Paul is the messenger of grace and peace to a world which deserves, nor seems to desire either. Read the first few verses of his every epistle. There are only 13… Paul is the worlds last call.
Pastor , what do you mean Paul was the world’s last call . The whole Bible is written for all us and is good for all things. The Bible can’t be separated as if the old testament isn’t meant for Christians. If you believe parts of the Bible were for one group and not the next then you believe a lie . The Same lie that says Jews are God’s chosen people when Christ calls them the children of the devil. In fact his most harsh words are for Jews. Please explain yourself.
Be warned I will know within 30 seconds whether you stand in the truth or in deception .
Calm down, I wasn’t thinking of a religious angle, but since it was brought up, I’ll jump in.
First, GCP mentioned last call for the world; isn’t that everyone? How is he selectively choosing and not including everyone?
Second, where were you before you were saved? Were we not all in the kingdom of darkness and ruled by the prince of this age? until we were transferred into the kingdom of the Son of His love? Seems we had the same position as the Jews, before we received salvation.
Remember, there are only two kingdoms, darkness and in the light.
I now return you to your regularly scheduled program.
I will try to explain myself BB.
2 Timothy 3:16 KJV… “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”
True? I believe it is. Yet, does God instruct anyone to construct Arks today? Nope. But He did instruct Noah to.
Therefore not every instruction in the Bible is written to you and I. Agreed?
The Jews “were” past tense, God’s chosen people.
Deuteronomy 7:6-8 KJV… “For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth. The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people: But because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
They failed to live up to the old covenant standards He set for them. You rightly note that Christ’s most harsh words were directed at them.
They are not Gods chosen people today.
Hosea 1:9 KJV… “Then said God , Call his name Lo-ammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.”
The promises God made to them are as yet unfulfilled. They will someday be God’s chosen once again.
Romans 11:26-27 KJV… “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”
That would be the new covenant begun in early Acts and interrupted by Christ’s calling of Paul on the road to Damascus with NOT the gospel of the Kingdom or the gospel of the circumcision which God promised the Jews, but the gospel of grace, the gospel of peace, the gospel of the risen and glorified Christ for all men everywhere.
When Israel fell all of humanity was declared unrighteous that God might have equal mercy upon all.
Romans 11:32 KJV… “For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.”
Today people saved by grace through faith in His shed blood are “chosen” if you will.
Romans 3:20-26 KJV… “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. BUT NOW the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say , at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
“But now” means something has changed!
Before you are quick to judge my position harshly please read carefully Romans 3-8 in your KJB. This is not something I can easily explain sufficiently in a single comment. Also, while you are driving (hopefully someday to Texas) give a listen to…
When I say Paul is the worlds last call I mean that today, in this dispensation, salvation is offered freely. It was not in the past, it will not be in the future. Grace and peace from God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Paul opens his every epistle with a form of the sentence. When God has “had enough” of humanity, it will be judgement and war, the opposite of grace and peace.
The great tribulation will begin, Israel and company will be punished and the remnant will be resurrected; the New Testament promises fulfilled. Thy Kingdom come ON EARTH as it is in heaven… as Jesus taught the 12 to pray.
Believers today are not New Testament Christians, we are no testament Christians as foreign as that likely sounds. Heaven does not come to us on earth as is promised faithful Israel, we go to heaven to be with Him. (1 Thes 4:13-18)
Greetings to your mom and little bb. I love my pets too ?
“God wants peace and that is the Christians message. ” Then the God of the New Testament must not be the same God as the God of the Old Testament.
Hi Annie. Perhaps, rather than thinking that the God of the OT is different from the God of the NT, it would be more logical to consider that the ways in which He deals with mankind changes over time. God is God; He does not change.
God presented the OT to Israel. It went bad to say the least and that is not Gods fault but mans. He will present the NT to Israel in the future.
Hebrews 8:7-11 KJV… “For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.”
Clearly, this is not happening in the world today. Israel despises the Lord Christ. As BB has rightly indicated, they are today the synagogue of satan.
Make any sense?
“Strangely enough, evil people are often destructive because they are attempting to destroy evil. The problem is that they misplace the locus of the evil. Instead of destroying others they should be destroying the sickness within themselves.”
Scott Peck
Pastor , it gets my attention when people try to break up God’s covenants or say the Moral Law has been abolished. Just yesterday I was listening to some pastor say that the 4 Gospels did not apply to us or Gentiles but were written for Jews only.I change the channel without taking the time to find out his name. Another thing that really gets me upsit is this thing called the Rapture . I see no evidence for this doctrine at all . Not one verse can I find except that one they constantly repeat in 1 thess . I think this is part of the grand deception or strong delusion . Another is These pastors that says Jews are God’s chosen people when everything I see and understand says we Christians are God’s chosen. In Christ we for fill the Covenants of God. I am glad that we seem to agree on most of the Vital doctrines . I wish I had more time but I got to go pick up the next load for the weekend . We will continue our conversation later on. Thank You for your reply.
Robert ,that is spot on. I think that was in the Book ” The road less Traveled “. Not sure but that name rings a bell for some reason.
I look forward to it BB. I see that you have honest zeal for the Lord and His Word. I am going to say some things that will run counter to more commonly held beliefs.
Proverbs 27:17 KJV… “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”
Drive safe out there.